Whether they are for Santa Claus or for family and friends, cookies are an essential part of holiday festivities. And with a little bit of frosting, holiday cookies are a great way to show off your creativity.
Brooke Gaylor, co-owner of BnG Farms in Elizabethtown, said for her, baking cookies for Christmas is a family tradition she has passed on to her children.
“Getting to see their excitement in what they created and which ones they will leave for Santa is worth every grain of sugar spilled on the floor,” Gaylor said.
Gaylor began selling cookies through BnG Farms last year. She said amid the troubles associated with COVID-19, the simple act of spreading joy through sweets has especially been pertinent this year.
“I do feel that baked gifts are of high priority this year,” she said. “With the impact that COVID has had on us as families and a community, it doesn’t take much to make a batch of cookies but it means more than we can imagine to those receiving them.”
Krista Salsman, owner of local business KLSugarCo, said baking cookies has been a much-needed activity year-round for local residents. She said she has offered do-it-yourself kits to customers in quarantine this year.
“I think it has been especially important this year to have something to do with each other outside of the daily routines of NTI and work from home,” Salsman said.
Though cookies often are appreciated regardless of their appearance, there are a few things you can do to make your holiday cookies really stand out.
Salsman said after rolling your dough and using your cookie cutters, it’s important to then chill the cookies for 30 minutes before baking. She said this will help the cookies maintain their shape.
It also is important to not over-bake the cookies, Salsman said. She said she typically bakes her cookies at 400 degrees for seven to nine minutes. After baking, she then lets the cookies rest on the pan for five to 10 minutes then moves them to a cooling rack until they are completely cooled. Salsman said she lets the cookies rest overnight before decorating them to avoid “butter bleeding” on the icing.
Leanne Bailey, owner of local business The Bailey Bakery, said when it comes to decorating cookies with frosting, consistency is key. She said it’s good to have a frosting with a consistency similar to toothpaste for outlining the cookie and a frosting with a honey-like consistency to “flood’ the cookie.
“By getting the right consistency, your icing will settle and give you a nice, smooth surface,” she said.
Bailey said when creating the outline of the cookie with frosting, it’s better to let the frosting fall onto the cookie rather than approaching the process as if you are drawing with a pencil.
Overall, Gaylor said, practice is the most important factor. She said there are plenty of resources on the internet to learn more about cookie decorating and that virtual classes also are a good option.
“Find a skill or technique that interests you and just keep trying it,” she said. “Trust me, there have been plenty of bad cookies made in our kitchen but with practice, we just keep getting better and better.”
Gaylor said even those who are inexperienced in making and decorating cookies can find great rewards in the activity, during or after the holidays.
“All your efforts and hard work will not go unnoticed,” she said, “When you feel like giving up, just know someone is going to enjoy what you created and appreciate the time you took to make whatever holiday treat it is you are creating for them.”
December 24, 2020 at 12:13PM
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The joy of tradition and Christmas cookies | Pulse - Elizabethtown News Enterprise
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